BSU's VanderMalle becomes overnight contender

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»Play VideoMarisa VanderMalle smiles during a Broncos track and field practice, as she prepares for Nationals in Eugene.

BOISE, Idaho (KBOI) - A handful of Boise State track and field athletes qualified for Nationals, but none more surprising than Marisa VanderMalle who used a new PR in Austin as a springboard to Eugene, and possibly even further.

VanderMalle's best time before the West Prelims was eight seconds off the B Standard. After her trip to Texas, she's only one second shy of the A Standard, the time needed to be consider to represent Team USA in the Olympics.

"I came in ranked 25th, and ended up 6th, and the top 12 go, so I PR'ed by 24 seconds and it was a huge surprise. So, like my running career kind of changed overnight.

"So we're kind of talking about going to USA's, but we'll just see how this weekend goes, and if I am able to achieve that A standard, but if not I think I'm going to enter myself anyway and just try to get in, because I'm so close," said VanderMalle.

Meanwhile, her teammates Emma Bates and Daveon Collins have already achieved the A Standard and plan to attend the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on the campus of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.